Blind-slat machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. B. SMITH, OF LOW'EIIL, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLIND-SLAT MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,429, dated October 16, 1860.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, HEZEKIAH B. SMITH,

-of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBlind-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l, Sheet l, is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. 2, Sheet l,is an end elevation of it. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a plan or top view of it.Fig. l, Sheet 2, is an enlarged plan of the sta-ple driving apparatus.Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a side view of same with outer case cut off.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures refer tolike parts.

The object of my machine is to bore the holes in the stile of the blind,to receive the rolling slats, and at the same time, with a combinedapparatus, to drive the staples in the hand rod, so that they willcorrespond exactly in distance apart, with the holes in the stile, andthus insure the perfect and uniform closing of every slat in the blind.

A description of it and its operation is as follows:

A, represents the frame.

B, is the driving shaft.

C, is the pulley driving the auger shaft or boring tool.

D, is the pulley driving the shaft E, that operates the cam.

F, is a bevel gear on shaft E, that drives the bevel cam gear G. The camH, on gear G, moves forward the carriage I, in which the auger shaft J,runs.

K, K, are ways on which the carriage I, slides forth and back.

L is the auger which is fastened into the end of the auger shaft orspindle J, by means of the set screw M, and which bores the holes in theblind stile S.

N, is a cam on the side of the gear G, which operates the lever O,having upon the end of it a weighted pawl P, and this striking the pinsQ, Q, Q, &c., in the sliding bar It, moves it along just the distancethat it is intended to have the blind slats apart.

S, is a blind stile fastened to the sliding bar R, by means of theeccentric binder T. There is also fastened to the bar by the samebinder, the shifting hand rod U, and at the same time that the holes arebored in the blind stile a staple is driven 1into the shifting rod U, bymeans of the punch V, which is fastened to the carriage I.

Every time that the punch moves forward it removes one from the bottomof the pile in the feeder W, and when it moves back, the whole pile ofstaples in the feeder are forced down evenly and regularly, by weightA2, Fig. l, and its plunger reaching down into feeder lV, and upon thestaples. In stead of this weight a spring or other equivaient device maybe used so as to present a new one for the next action of the punch.

The staple feeder and punch are represented on a larger scale in Figs.4, and 5, Sheet 2. The saddle X, of the feeder is jointed so as to turndown to a horizontal position, and receive with greater facility thestaples which are to be placed upon it. lVhen lled with staples, itshuts into the case of the feeder, and thus secures the staples in aperpendicular pile, free to drop down as occasion may require.

In order to have all the sla-ts of a blind shut perfectly, it isnecessary to have the same distance between all adjacent staples thatthere is between the corresponding slats; then when the slats areconnected with the shifting rod, they all maintain the same relativeposition, in whatever position they are, and consequently all shutperfectly together at the same time. This perfect correspondence indivision, my machine accom* plishes, as at each and every time a hole isbored in the stile, a staple is also driven in the shifting rod. lViththis machine also, it is not requisite that the divisions should beabsolutely alike; for, a little variation of the holes in the stile isfollowed by a corresponding variation in the staples, which makes theslats shut the same as though both divisions were perfect.

When we wish to change the pieces, which are bored and stapled, for newones, it is necessary to stop the feed motion (but the auger may beallowed to revolve). This is done by springing the handle Y, whichunlatches the lever Z, and allows a spring to draw it toward theauger-this moves the connecting rod (a) and the bent lever (Z9) andlifts the sliding rest (c) which raises the weighted end of the pawl P,so as to throw it out of gear with the pins Q, Q, Q., &c., in thesliding bar R. Thus the bar will cease to move, and we are at liberty torun it back by hand, and put in fresh pieces to be operated upon. Thelever Z, is also connected with the sliding coupling (d) by means of thebent lever (e) which stops the motion of the cam H, and consequently,the forward and back movement of the auger.

f, f, f, &c., are dovetailed nuts, provided with set screws Q, Q, Q, &c.These nuts are made to fit and slide in the groove in the under side ofthe bar R, and are intended to X the distances of the holes in the blindstiles from each other. The set screws Q, Q, Q, &c., are long enough toproject below the surface of the bar, and thus form a ratchet which isoperated by the pawl P, as aforedescribed. The machine is also made tostop itself as follows (g) is a dog fastened to the slidingbar R, whenthe bar has moved along far enough, strikes against the end (h) of thehandle Y, and unlatches the lever Z, and stops the machine in the manneras aforedescribed.

I do not claim a machine for boring holes in( blind stiles,automatically, for this has been done before; but

What I do claim, is-

1. The combination of the apparatus for boring the stiles, with theapparatus for driving and setting the staples in the rods, in mannersubstantially as described, and for the purpose of producing the effectset forth in the specification.

2. A sliding rack, having adjustable teeth, when used for the purpose ofgiving the spaces between the holes in the stiles, or the staples in therods'for rolling slat window blinds substantially as specified.

3. The hopper or feeder having a space inside fitted to the staples andmade so as to open substantially as specified.

' H. B. SMITH.

Vitne-sses:

L. W. JENNEss, E. W. SCOTT.

